<p>How can you be "against" a mental disability? The fact that it is overdiagnosed doesn't mean it's not an actual disorder.</p>
<p>more or less i am against the way that it is diagnosed. I know a lot of kids that were fine before going on the meds and now they have even more problems. 40 years ago society didnt even have ADD and ADHD and people still found ways to function. Granted there are extreme cases that need to be treated, but for the most part we are turning into a society that makes excuses for immature behavior.</p>
<p>Eating disorders on the other hand are a major problem with youth. Many of my friends and family members have had a type of eating disorder and they are really hard to treat.</p>
<p>Personally, I don't even think ADD is a disease. I think people like to believe they have a "disease" so it doesn't require any real responsibility. On the same note, I don't believe in depression as a disease either.</p>
<p>I agree bunny, with the exception of manic depression or if someone is bipolar(having extreme highs a lows). However, I believe those cases are not that common.</p>
<p>Props ryan. I was expecting to be attacked, but felt it had to be said. Obviously there are EXTREME cases, but they're not common -- hence the name "extreme cases." People drive me crazy sometimes.</p>
<p>ryan2288, thanks for rephrasing; it makes more sense now. funkyfunnybunny, you've obviously never been depressed, so maybe you shouldn't be so quick to dispense judgement.</p>
<p>I think we have all experienced some form of "depression", the difference in people is how they deal with it.</p>
<p>Everybody gets depressed -- it's called living. But diagnosing depression as a disease gives people a false sense of reality and takes away the requirement for personal responsibility. Ironic that, at the point when the U.S. was at its wealthiest (before 9/11), economy at its best, wasn't dealing with war... diagnosed depression was at an all time high.</p>
<p>bunny, are you a libertarian?</p>
<p>i like to think of myself as one</p>
<p>I agree with some of the things that they support(anti patriot act, anti government involvement with social issues); however I cannot buy this free market environmentalism crap that they are trying to push across as being legit. Complete privatization just seems like this nation would turn into pre Teddy Roosevelt America again in regards to environmental policies. </p>
<p>(Sorry I know this is off topic)</p>
<p>haha -- i think i turned this into more of a political issue than it was supposed to be </p>
<p>i'm not a libertarian to the core, and do believe that government is necessary in order to protect life and property. I agree with you Ryan, but it's because the government needs to protect PUBLIC property too, and absolute privatization doesn't really allow that.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Everybody gets depressed -- it's called living. But diagnosing depression as a disease gives people a false sense of reality and takes away the requirement for personal responsibility.
[/quote]
I wasn't referring to simple episodes of sadness, but to the inescapable feeling of worthlessness that follows you for years and doesn't leave. I know this sounds like awful poetry, but I can't describe it otherwise. It's a distortion in a person's thinking patterns that can cause a delusional mindset, sometimes leading to self-harm (in that way, it is surprisingly like an eating disorder). In no way do I think that it absolves a person of responsibility; it makes responsibility more difficult to carry, but should never be used as an excuse.</p>
<p>are there not activities to make one feel some self worth?</p>
<p>that's what i'd argue too. sometimes i think depression is NECESSARY in order to get someone out of bed. If you feel worthless, maybe you should fix it. </p>
<p>On a different note, how do you quote people?</p>
<p><quote>text</quote></p>
<p>but use the square brackets.</p>
<p>(edited to remove some unnecessarily personal references.)</p>
<p>ryan,
The diagnosis and terminology associated with ADHD has changed over the decades. Forty yrs ago it was called MBD (minimal brain dysfunction), then it morphed into hyperkinesis. Then ADD with/without hyperactivity, and now ADHD (with 3 subtypes). There are other hypotheses and terms used, but these are the "official" terms. I don't want to get into a debate about the validity of mental health diagnoses (Tom Cruise has done enough of that for my taste), but to minimize it or say it is an excuse is unkind to those who truly suffer from MH issues.</p>
<p>Similarly, Funky, there is a big difference between the normal "ups and downs of life", including grief issues, and a true clinical depression. I don't want to sound like I am lecturing, so I won't go into an explanation at this time. I would just hope you will keep a more open mind.</p>
<p>Ryan, if I can assume, I'd say you don't have much experience with people with diagnosed mental illnesses, who are on medications. I think you're being overly simplistic. Of course, there are a lot of people who just want a quick fix, but that's not what psychiatric drugs do. They change chemical imbalances in people who have them. They are not like illegal drugs that provide a quick fix. They keep you sane enough to handle your problems. They don't take away your problems, or take the blame off you. Instead, they let you handle life calmly if you're one of the people who naturally have major problems with that. I hope at some point you can open your mind and realize that these are diseases, not teenage-type angst.</p>